Sunny Meadows

A Nearby Meadow

I awoke this morning to a beautiful happy day. From our bedroom window the scene above greeted me as I opened the curtains. In the foreground of the photo nature has carefully arranged the colours of this nations national flag: namely green of the grasses, white of the old wood and the brilliant pale gold of the dandelions.

I know that some wag will ask about the blue so here too I have an answer - blue is the colour of The President of Ireland's flag emblazoned with a gold harp.''

The President of Ireland's Ensign

I have strayed quite sufficiently from my original thoughts.... this morning all around me is so very quiet and tranquil, which is like being enveloped in a blanket of serenity. My thoughts drifted backwards whilst drinking the morning coffee, it was in part the ambience and a slight movement of air swirled about me from the open window that cast my memory back to childhood. The remembrances of similar sunny mornings; those times when the households' laundry linens would be shining brightly white on the washing line and the air would be permeated with a clean smell of soap suds.

A few days ago we celebrated Bealtaine, the traditional start of Summer, on an ancient meadowed hill with friends old and new in warm sunshine. It was a very harmonious ritual, especially when one considers that our new friends from England had never met us until minutes before the ceremony. 

Afterwards we shared with them our picnic and they shared with us their music, no better exchange can there be I think.

STRANGE BIRDS ....

We have seen these feathered friends feeding twice now on the dandelion seeds in our front garden and have been unable to identify them, we seek your assistance ? (What they are not is goldfinches)

                                                                 

Strange and inconsiderate parking by two lady drivers (birds) at the rear of the council offices in Birr

DIFFERENT THOUGHTS

Inner thoughts are those mental meanderings that I keep within with myself. In that secret place I tumble and juxtapose ideas to beat them like semi-molten metal into defined shapes that I can understand.

I work hard to fashion my lines of thought to be short and concise.I am not one to make tangled sentences that might be misconstrued, even by myself at a later date. Learning as I did from hearing a friend reading aloud his own words, only to hear him say afterwards 'I wonder why I wrote that?'

One proposition is that it is possible to hold within two  opposing ideas and to own each as being completely valid.Not that this a new concept for the Irish Celts seem capable of much the same.They had and some still have a belief in the Christian God and in Fairy Magic.

The stumbling blocks for me are the word 'belief' plus the concept of a god, of any attached religion. From what I have witnessed all religions have a god to whom followers are given a set of rules which must be adhered to and are made to be fearful of breaking.

Death is seen by the religionists as being the end of life with the 'after life' used as a punishment or a reward.

Dr Carl Jung was once asked if he believed in god, his reply was

'No, I know[god]'.

I prefer not to use that three lettered word as it would only lead to confusion. I know that there is a Supreme Intelligence, which I see as a collusion of energies of which we humans etc. are a part. That we existed as an energy particle before birth and return to that existence via what we call death. I also,am very aware that some returned or retuned energy particles often remain in contact with this planet and are commonly known as ghosts.

What I consider to be my opposing thought occurs in my life as a Druid, in that I work with the old gods and goddesses, both in ritual and in meditation.They are to me the archetypes and mythological figures of the landscape, whose stories hold messages and power for those who acknowledge their presence.

Both of these suppositions sit well with me and cause no internal conflict.

About time to......

My friends,

She the Bitch is dead.

I have longed for this day and there is not one thousandth of gramme of sorrow within me.  Perhaps this is not one of my best written pieces, it does though some up all that was angering me at that time and the neglect of people by governments Still angers me today.

Here below is that a piece which I angrily wrote in 1981 and am pleased to share it with you all.

In Oppression, oppressive state

burns a fire named freedom

confined in dreams - a longing ache

To be free sleeping beneath stars

swimmingly weightless smooth.

In Oppression, oppressive state

burns a fire named freedom

confined in dreams and memory.

Still a longing ache!

Away you Thatcherite's

and your slimy she devil

who cooked books and polls

In Oppression, oppressive state

burns a fire named Freedom

confined in dreams and memory.

A fire fuelled by poverty and division

Twenty thousand homeless in Bristol

Two thousand of whom sleep on city streets.

How wonderful for your great Britain!

In Oppression, oppressive state

burns a fire named Freedom!

Confined in dreams and memory.

Grieve then Saxon grocer's girl

No lacquered thatch for their roofs

Nor an emblazoned Dame-hood

You BITCH Maggie Thatcher!

MRL 12. 4. 81   

I rejoice at M. T's passing and I wish it had come sooner. I still do weep for those who suffered and for the Mothers who cried for their children when they struggled to feed them because thousands of workers were tossed on to the scrap heap of life - in the interest of gross capitalism.

I shall always remember seeing the tears in the eyes of unemployed parents and grandparents as they asked ‘Why?’

If justice was properly practised in the UK and in the world at large Margaret Thatcher ought to have been charged as a war criminal for ordering the Belgrano to be sank considering it was outside of the exclusion zone.

Our Weather Forecast

08 April 2013 10:54

Today

Most places will be dry with bright or sunny spells today, however patchy rain in the southwest will become persistent and heavy during the afternoon and evening. It will stay cool and breezy with highest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees in fresh easterly wind

Tonight

Tonight will be dry in most areas with some clear spells but rain will continue for a time in the southwest. Lowest temperatures of 0 to 4 degrees, coldest in the north with some frost here. Fresh easterly winds will persist overnight.

Tomorrow

Tuesday will be a rather cloudy day, with just a few sunny spells. Many places will be dry again, just a few scattered showers. Highest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees. Breezy again at first, but fresh easterly winds will ease somewhat in the afternoon.

Outlook

On Tuesday night, outbreaks of rain or drizzle will continue to affect Munster for a time. Much of the country will be dry with some clear spells and with frost developing. Lowest temperatures of -1 to +2 degrees. 

Wednesday will start off dry with sunny spells. Some showers will develop in the morning and then persistent rain will spread from the south through the afternoon and evening along with fresh to strong, gusty easterly winds. Highest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees. The rain will be heavy at times and may fall as sleet in places. It will gradually clear to the northeast overnight and on Thursday morning. Scattered showers will follow. Winds will ease and become northerly. It will be cold with highest temperatures of 6 to 9 degrees. It will continue quite cold on Friday with sunny spells and scattered showers. Saturday will start off dry and bright. However a spell of wet and windy weather will spread from the south later, bringing some heavy rain. It will clear to scattered showers on Sunday, But it will continue cold and blustery.

Salmon for dinner & egg for supper

I have always had a great liking for fish and amongst my favourite fish meals is Salmon followed by Tuna steaks, the latter I now rarely see in the fish mongers - of course it might be that I don't arrive in town early enough as am not great at getting up early in the mornings :)

Below is a half side of salmon which I purchased for €6. 50 (£5. 50 or US$8. 30) and weighs approximately 1-3/4 LB sufficient for two good meals for me, Mrs H is not fond of baked salmon and her preference is for it to be sliced & barbecued.

My preparation is to spread a thin coating of olive oil on the tray, lay in the fish, liberally sprinkle it with freshly ground black pepper surface plus a small amount of sea salt to enhance the flavour and a few knobs of Kerrygold Butter to prevent burning.

Here is my superb fish tea together with nicely buttered crisp breads and cracked-wheat crackers; I prefer not to accompany the fish with vegetables or potatoes. 

The picture below is of a recent find  in a charity shop by Mrs H who has lately developed a penchant for jugs of various styles. We added the brown egg to symbolise the fruit of the fowl.

Also this perhaps will get the attention of Mr John Gray of Going Gently http://disasterfilm.blogspot.ie/ whose blog I visit on occasionally.

Quaint perhaps ?

A home for the Wee people

A very small house and the home of six Leprechauns who are very shy at the best of times and can get very irate if disturbed.

Fortunately for the photographer they were not at home, this fact was easy to ascertain for there is no sign of smoke or heat leaving the chimney.

The Old Pump

Pumps like these situated at the side of the roads,were once a very common sight in rural Ireland. This particular one is still used, the water is regularly tested and the pump is maintained with an occasional lick of paint.

With the onset of public water supplies soon to be metered and a charge made, it will be interesting to see what will happen at this particular pump.

Tuesday 12th March 2012

The back garden 

It is 6.45 in the morning the temperature is -5C and when I tried to open the front door to take a photo it was frozen to the jambs. 

Dawn has just arrived and there is one solitary Blue tit at the feeder.

The Wise Woman sleeps on!  I wish it were me however, once awake I have to get up as am unable to stay in bed for any length of time.

The Talents of a Good Woman!

Jam Buns

I felt that I just had to share with you one of the other talents of Mrs H that is apart from her art which she is well known for.

We have been married for about ten years and this is only the second batch of buns she has made. The first batch was about three weeks ago and they absolutely delicious, in fact I could live off the smell coming from the kitchen - they are that good!

The jam is described as Luxury Strawberry spread at a content of 75% fruit.

They are just perfect with a cup of tea while sitting by the fire on a very cold and wintry evening.

Goldfinches & Signs of Spring

Goldfinches feeding

Privately I refer to these as small parrots!

The Barbary type plant is leafing on it's 

lower branches.

Purple Croci in bloom around the Owl Stone

(in certain lights the standing stone is shaped 

in relief of an owl)

Daffodils a definite sign of Spring